(Silver Spring, MD) - Destination America announces its upfront slate for 2013-14 with an array of new and returning series and specials that celebrate the people, places and stories of the United States. Destination America marks its one-year anniversary with a summer of originals, kicking off with MEAT WEEK, a celebration of timeless cook-out traditions - grills, smoke and meat, beginning Memorial Day, May 27. The week culminates with the season premiere of the hit series, BBQ PITMASTERS on June 2.

Then, this summer and fall, Destination America unveils several new series including KING OF THRONES, honoring the #1, and sometimes #2, room in the house - the bathroom, and LAST CALL FOOD BRAWL, a competition series hosted by chef and all-around food enthusiast, Adam Gertler, showcasing the best in late night, comfort food. BUYING ALASKA also returns to the schedule this fall, with plans to expand the franchise with several more stunning and challenging locations in the works for new spin-off series BUYING THE BAYOU and BUYING HAWAII.

"Destination America is firing on all cylinders and we're proud to be the one and only network to super-serve our audience with the best of all things Americana - from food, travel and property to local legends and campfire tales," said Marc Etkind, SVP of Content Strategy for Destination America. "With ratings up 30%* since launch and hundreds of hours of original programming, we're committed to being THE network to celebrate all the fun and fascinating stories of our great country."

Destination America's upcoming slate includes:

NEW SUMMER SERIES

KING OF THRONES

It's one of America's most sacred places and deserves the utmost design attention. Does your bathroom seem incomplete without a giant flat screen TV, heated floors, and a urinal made out of solid gold? KING OF THRONES is your one-stop-shop for pimped-out bathroom inspiration including, of course, precious potties. Every week, a team of contractors specializing in bathroom renovations will take man caves to a whole new level... and make every guy's "mantasy" come true.

LAST CALL FOOD BRAWL

Destination America's newest food competition series is three sheets to the WIN! In each episode, LAST CALL FOOD BRAWL, along with chef Adam Gertler, will visit a different American city and challenge four chefs, hailing from 24-hour diners to 4-star establishments, in a cook-off to determine who will be crowned the king of late night bites. For bar-goers getting the munchies, the food brawls attract a raucous audience hungry for something salty and sweet, like deep fried bacon chili cheeseburger rolls and peanut butter s'more french toast balls. Only one chef will win the coveted Golden Fry Basket and the title of King of Late Night!

MOUNTAIN MONSTERS (wt)

Chupacabra, Wampus Beast, Wolfman, Mothman and Grassman -- with a distinctive landscape of woods, lakes and valleys, the Appalachian Mountains are a hotbed for mysterious creature sightings. The leading researchers of these shadowy figures are The Appalachian Investigators of Mysterious Sightings (AIMS). The team, founded by John "Trapper" Tice, is skilled in hunting and tracking using both traditional techniques and modern technology. Their mission is to interview witnesses, investigate the scene of the encounter, and eventually capture the creature ...OR prove its non-existence.

NEW UPFRONT SERIES

BUYING THE BAYOU

There's no place on earth like the Bayou, and there's nothing like its real estate. Featuring one-of-a-kind homes with wild amenities, sometimes set in the difficult and unpredictable swampland, this series meets the needs of gator hunters, catfish noodlers, shrimping and crawfish enthusiast and everything important to Central Louisiana. Some homes float, some are propped up by stilts, while others have prime space for airboat docking.

BUYING HAWAII

It's one of the most popular island paradise destinations but what does it take to make it home? With extreme climates and homes perched in the shadow of volcanos, Hawaii real estate is no easy feat. Each episode follows one home buyer who checks out three unique properties in a quest to find their ultimate Hawaiian hideaway.

RAILROAD ALASKA

Following an elite crew of workers-- brakemen, engineers, construction crews, mechanics and train drivers - RAILROAD ALASKA illustrates the battle against ferocious weather and treacherous terrain to keep the State of Alaska's critical 500-mile long railroad rolling to deliver life sustaining supplies. From controlled avalanches to prevent catastrophe, to fascinating characters, like Jim James, the one-handed handy man, learn what it takes to keep this train on track.

RETURNING UPFRONT SERIES

BBQ PITMASTERS

The hit series is back with the deeply competitive spirit of the American BBQ subculture. We'll follow a revolving cast of the best chefs on the circuit through a full season of high-profile barbecue competitions, from Kansas City's Great American BBQ all the way through the granddaddy of them all, the Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Returning judges include the "winningest" man in BBQ, Myron Mixon, alongside Tuffy Stone, and each week will feature a third guest judge.

EPIC

Featuring extravagant amenities and the people that make them, we look at how daydreamers took their passion to another level with impressive prized possessions that involve expert craftsmanship, technology, and innovation. From a forward-thinking motorhome that's outfitted with a vast array of luxury items including iPad controllers and an in-motion satellite; to floating homes that boast theaters, helicopter landing pads, fireplaces and wine cellars; to pools loaded with lazy rivers, flume slides and underwater speakers, EPIC spotlights the most imaginative creations found right next door.

BUYING ALASKA

Head to the last great American frontier and witness the challenges of purchasing a home that has no running water, electricity, indoor bathrooms or, in some cases, access roads. Buying a piece of the untamed north proves that forgoing basic amenities is a reasonable tradeoff when it comes to breathtaking views and stunning wild surroundings that you can't find anywhere in the lower 48 states. Offering much more than living quarters, these properties are so in tune with the extraordinary landscape that it's often what's beyond the house that proves to be the main attraction - from the ability to hunt and fish from your back deck, to extreme seclusion on your own private island, to self-sustaining features such as smokehouses and greenhouses.

HILLBILLY BLOOD

In Cold Mountain, North Carolina, the land is beautiful and the living is tough. In a remote region full of bizarre superstitions, colorful characters, and deep-rooted tradition, folks live off the land just like their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents before them, carrying on the custom of getting by with little and making do with less. When it comes to living the hard-scrabble Appalachian life, there's nobody better than Eugene Runcus, who's got hillbilly ingenuity running through his veins, and his mountain brother, Spencer "Two-Dogs" Boljack, who has unlocked the secrets to backwoods survival.

About Destination America

Destination America is the only network to celebrate the people, places, and stories of the United States. The inclusive network targeting Adults 25-54 is available in 60 million homes, emblazoning television screens with the grit and tenacity, honesty and work ethic, humor and adventurousness that characterize our nation. Destination America features travel, food, adventure, home, and natural history, with original series like BBQ Pitmasters, A Haunting, Epic, and Buying Alaska. For more information, please visit DestinationAmerica.com, facebook.com/DestinationAmerica, or twitter.com/DestAmerica. Destination America is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.8 billion cumulative subscribers in 218 countries and territories.